Nativity: Place of Origin (Week 49)

Story behind the painting:

When I posted the last batch of ornaments I painted, I had someone order 13 Nativities.  The only Nativity in my ornament collection was the black, white and gold silhouette but she was ordering the “colorful ones.” I realized she thought the church ornaments were nativities and just like that, I saw it too.  I love it when someone sees something in my art that I had not even pictured.

A Nativity was “birthed out of a church ornament”. When in reality, The Church, the Bride of Christ, was birthed over 2000 years ago out of The Nativity!

What a beautiful flip-the script moment.

Take-away Treasure:

Here are two Merriam-Webster definitions of “nativity”:
-the process or circumstances of being born : birth; especially capitalized : the birth of Jesus

-the place of origin

WOMBS:

“And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room available for them.” Luke 2:7 (NIV)

TOMBS:

“Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance…Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb…he saw the strips of linen lying there…” John 20:1-6 (NIV)

When I gave birth to all three of my children, the waiting room was full and people brought gifts. I swaddled my babies and laid them all down in bassinets, pack and plays, or baby beds to sleep. Mary was a momma too. We all know the Christmas story. Mary gave birth. Mary swaddled her baby and laid him down to sleep. Many visitors came and gifts were brought. BUT JESUS changes the story!

BUT JESUS…

Let me explain:

Jesus was born sinless of a WOMB, later exiting a TOMB, conquering death once and for all. When I became a believer by hearing about Jesus, recognizing my need for a Savior, repenting of my sin, asking Jesus to be Lord of my life and then following, I was REBORN.

I went from death to life, from the TOMB to the WOMB. Death lost it’s hold on me. Now, I am to DELIVER JESUS to the world around me, until the day He takes me home or He returns.

Do you remember when Jesus entered your story?

I do.

I went from death to life at the age of 8 at a Billy Graham crusade in Memphis, Tennessee. The WOMBS  and TOMBS switch places in the life of a Christ follower.

That salvation moment locks in our eternal home, but Christ wants to birth more from us, make Heaven more crowded through us, while we are still on this planet. Saved people, who are still walking the earth, have a DELIVERY to make. We are to walk out this life free in Christ DELIVERING HIM everywhere we go.

Once the enemy of our soul realizes he can’t snatch our DESTINY, he spends the rest of our lives trying to stop us from making our DELIVERY.  When we are aware that someone wants to derail or delay our purpose, our DELIVERY, we are better equipped to recognize the attack, stand firm, and forge ahead.

FedEx’s mission is to  “deliver solutions that matter, turning global challenges into opportunities.”

As DELIVERED BELIEVERS IN CHRIST, we have everything we need to DELIVER THE ONLY SOLUTION, JESUS, TURNING GLOBAL CHALLENGES INTO HOPEFUL OPPORTUNITIES!

How do we DELIVER CHRIST?

We DELIVER CHRIST by loving and serving people well.   God made us diverse, but not divided, so we can love and serve in countless creative ways.  And when others ask us why we are like we are, we DELIVER CHRIST by sharing our DELIVERANCE STORIES!

If HE made and makes me NEW, HE can and will for you too!

Can you see it?

REBORN, we live resurrected lives that have the high privilege and great responsibility of delivering or GIVING BIRTH to Jesus everywhere we go!

We are given the opportunity to play a part in someone else’s “nativity” story, at the origin of their new life in Christ. Will we take it? 

We are all a MARY.  That would never have been possible had we not gone from death to life, FROM TOMB TO WOMB!

Take some time to reflect on your NATIVITY, your birth, your place of origin. I would love to hear your stories and I can’t think of a better way to share hope this time of year!

When and how did you go from the TOMB TO THE WOMB, death to life, and how can we DELIVER JESUS this Christmas season?

Peace